Veterans
"Veterans" is the 11th episode of the first season, and the 11th episode in the series overall. It was written by Benjamin Daniel Lobato and directed by Tony Goldwyn. It first aired May 25, 2010. Plot Synopsis Raylan learns that his dad's life is in danger because he ran Bo Crowder's business while Bo was in prison and ran it into the ground. Raylan turns to an unlikely source to pin a meth lab killing on Boyd Crowder. Recap A team of U.S. Marshals, led by Raylan and Mullen, raid Boyd's camp. They cuff the "shepherd" of this particular flock as well as Dewey Crowe. Back at the office, the officers attempt to get a follower named Luther to assist them in putting Boyd back behind bars. Luther stares at Raylan and growls: "You strike at the shepherd, the sheep may scatter." One by one, during interrogation each of the "church" members repeats the identical phrase in the identical manner... except for Dewey who garbles it. Later, Boyd is brought in for questioning. Asks Raylan: "Are you working for your daddy ... scaring everyone back under his wing?" Boyd, without admitting to anything, suggests that the blown-up trailer might have been an "accident." Suddenly, God-fearing Mullen becomes righteously angry. "It's assholes like you that give Christians like me a bad name!" the boss yells. A state police officer suggests tracking down the two men who escaped from the meth lab — if Boyd didn't already kill them. Speak of the devils, the scared pair meet with Bo and Johnny at the bar. "Is it too late for us to get your protection now?" one of the men asks. Says Bo: "Never too late ... we'll get you up and running again." Cut to Raylan, who is on his way out of the office. The modern-day cowboy runs into his ex-wife, who is acting nervous and flirty. She makes up an excuse about coming to see him because she thinks she lost her hair clip at his hotel room, after she brought him there the night he was beat up in the drunken bar fight. "Thank you again for what you did for Gary," Winona says. Later, Raylan visits Hunter in prison. The former sheriff drops a bomb: when Bo went to jail, he handed collection and protection duties to none other than Arlo Givens — and, apparently, Arlo promptly screwed it up. "Can't imagine ol' Bo is too happy about that," Hunter says. "Can you?" Cut to Bo paying a visit to Boyd's camp. He takes his son aside and hands over a wad of cash. Turns out Boyd's handiwork at the meth lab — accidental or not — has been a boon to daddy's business. "I got people lining up with cash in their hands, begging me for protection," Bo explains to his son, who promptly returns the money. It's against his new religion. "You're not taking me seriously, daddy — and I don't find it amusing," Boyd says. "You're wasting your time if you think I'm doing anything on your behalf." Bo leaves the money on a rock before storming away. Raylan and Mullen, in the meantime, visit Raylan's stepmother Helen. Raylan explains that they know about Arlo's recent business endeavors. The wife, naturally, is indignant. "You can put on that hat and badge and pretend you're somebody else," she sneers at Raylan, who warns her that Bo will come looking for the money Arlo lost. That shuts her up fast. Raylan and Mullen then head to the local VFW hall, but are refused entrance. Only veterans and their guests are allowed. So the Marshals call former Army sniper Tim, who flashes his military ID and gets them inside, where Arlo sits and drowns his sorrows. "You can either sit around waiting to catch a bullet," Raylan begins. "Or accept protection from the Marshals' Service," Mullen continues. When Arlo refuses, his son more or less calls dear old dad a lowlife. Arlo stands and SLAPS his hat-wearing son. It's a tense moment before Raylan taunts his pops and then exits. Mullen then hands Arlo his card. "We're taking down the Crowders and you can either go with them ... or not," Mullen says before taking his leave as well. Outside, the men's cell phones suddenly start ringing in unison. Not a good sign. "Let me guess: missing meth cookers," Mullen says upon arriving at the scene. Indeed. The two witnesses to Boyd's "accident" have been shot in the head, murdered by Bo and company (though the marshals don't yet know it). The next day, Bo pays Arlo a visit. "Where's my money?" the Crowder crime family patriarch asks. Arlo blames his failure to run the business on "young punks" and tells Bo to get control of this born-again son. "At least he didn't join the other team!" Bo yells. So now the two old men argue about who has the better/worst son. Helen, meanwhile, listens from the next room, shotgun at the ready. "You have until this time tomorrow," Bo warns. Cut to Raylan, who drives along the road and notices a hitchhiking Dewey. Turns out the not-so-bright follower was kicked out of Boyd's camp for "onanism." Raylan smirks — and then has a brainstorm. "You are now a duly deputized U.S. Marshal," says Raylan, explaining that Dewey will become his man on the inside upon returning to Boyd's camp and begging for forgiveness. It's too much for Dewey, who confesses that Boyd targeted the meth lab because one of his converts, Bobby, had once been a cooker there. So the team of marshals returns to the church camp. Boyd is once again handcuffed while the officers search for Bobby. While they wait, Raylan and Boyd chat. It's not long before Boyd reveals that Arlo was working for none other than Ava's ex-husband. Assuming that's true, why did Ava never mention it to Raylan? It's not like the two haven't had an opportunity to talk during the past few weeks. Raylan is perturbed. Later, the marshals leave and Boyd begins frantically digging underneath the makeshift campfire. Bobby is underneath in a wooden box, breathing through a length of hose. "Bobby, I'm going to have to ask you for one more favor and I gotta warn ya, it's a big'un," Boyd says. Bobby says he'll do anything because Boyd saved his soul. Helen, meanwhile, is busy digging, too. She unearths a suitcase from her garden — and opens it to find whatever she had stashed there (money, we're guessing) long gone. She throws the suitcase down in anger. Later, Raylan heads to the bar — and finds Ava having more than a few drinks. He wants to know what she is doing back in town considering she has a bullseye on her back. Ava blows off her former beau and points out a scruffy-looking dude sitting across the bar. Hesler, one of Bo's goons, has been following her. Raylan challenges the man, who gets mouthy. So, the marshal slaps Hesler and then breaks his finger. Raylan then approaches Ava, who is drunk and refuses to leave. "You are leaving with me if I have to arrest you and put you in handcuffs," he says. Turns out he has to do just that. Raylan drives the passed-out and cuffed Ava to Winona's home. "I need her to stay at your place tonight," he asks his ex. Winona, after teasing Raylan for messing up another relationship, agrees. She owes him, after all. Cut to Helen and Arlo, who are arguing over the missing money, which has apparently been gone for some time. "I planned on filling it up again," Arlo says of Helen's buried suitcase. Suddenly, GUNSHOTS! The windows shatter! Moments later, a pickup truck speeds away from the house. Helen and Arlo rush outside, firing their own guns, but the truck disappears into the night. "We either run or you kill Bo," Helen says. Dewey, meanwhile, has returned to camp to find Boyd waiting. The boss explains that he can't "abide" his followers talking so freely to Raylan. Boyd then pulls a gun and points it at Dewey's stricken face. "I'm sorry, son, but the work we're doing here is too important," Boyd says. "I hope you understand." Boyd looks to the heavens ... and lowers his weapon. Murdering a man in cold blood just wouldn't be the Christian thing to do. "Go," says Boyd, banishing the sinner from the flock. Cut to the Marshals' office, where Bobby has turned himself in for a crime everyone is fairly certain he didn't commit. "I come up here to tell you that I'm the one set fire to that trailer," Bobby says. "Not Boyd. Not anyone. Just me." Raylan is shocked. That's some "favor." Later, we see Boyd buying military-grade weapons with the money his daddy left behind at the camp. For what exactly? Raylan, meanwhile, returns to his hotel room to find his daddy quietly waiting for him in the dark. "Hello, Raylan." Appearances First Appearances #Hestler Jones - Loyal right hand man of Bo Crowder, who is fresh out of prison #Frank Choate - Captain of the Kentucky State Police helping with the interrogation of Boyd Crowder's "flock", as well as the meth lab explosion #Lemuel Becket - Arms dealer who sells a Rocket Launcher to Boyd Deaths #Mickey - Meth cooker seeking protection from Bo Crowder. Shot by Johnny Crowder. #Puller - Partner of Mickey, also seeking protection. Shot by Hestler. Production Cast Starring Cast *Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens *Nick Searcy as Art Mullen *Joelle Carter as Ava Crowder *Jacob Pitts as Tim Gutterson *Erica Tazel as Rachel Brooks (credit only) *Natalie Zea as Winona Hawkins Guest stars *Raymond J. Barry as Arlo Givens *M.C. Gainey as Bo Crowder *Linda Gehringer as Helen Givens *Jim Haynie as Lemuel Becket *Damon Herriman as Dewey Crowe *Brent Sexton as Hunter Mosley *Kevin E. West as Frank Choate *Brad Carter as Bobby Joe Packer *David Meunier as Johnny Crowder *Ray Porter as Hestler Jones *Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder Co-stars *John Lee Ames as Boyd's Man 2 *Emerson Brooks as MP Sykes *Mark Elias as Boyd's Man 1 *David Haley as Guard #1 *Darin Heames as Mickey *Travis Johns as Luther Perry *Josh Wingate as Puller Uncredited *David Hill as U.S. Marshal Gallery S2.jpg External links *List of Justified episodes on Wikipedia - Season 1 section *Justified Episode Guide on FX, Season 1 *"Veterans" at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) Category:Season 1 episodes